


Influence

by Fyre



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-20
Updated: 2012-02-20
Packaged: 2017-10-31 12:23:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/344021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyre/pseuds/Fyre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr Gold has an unexpected visitor</p>
            </blockquote>





	Influence

The bell over the door of the shop jangled.

Mr Gold didn't immediately look up from the books he was working on. There was no need. No one ever stole from his shop for fear of the repercussions. He moved his pen, cross-checking some figures, then marked down the total. Satisfied, he lowered the pen and closed the book.

A small figure was moving around, barely visible through the mottled glass of the cases.

Gold rose, leaning on his stick. "Can I help you?"

A head poked around a bookshelf. "You have a lot of weird stuff!"

Henry Mills.

On the whole, Gold was not entirely surprised. The boy had a curious nature that was driving his dear, doting mother half-mad. And, of course, anything that infuriated Regina so much immediately was given a place of honour in Gold's mind.

"People tend to buy and sell anything given half a chance," he said, approaching. "I can assure you very little of this is to my tastes."

Henry grinned at him. "I figured that," he said. "I never saw you in a canoe before. Or a sparkly tiara."

Gold's lips twitched. "Smart boy," he said. He sat down on a chair near the boy. "So what brings you to my humble shop?"

Henry shrugged expansively. "I like to look," he said. "It helps me figure stuff out."

Gold rested one hand over the other on the head of his cane. "Oh? What kind of stuff?"

The boy looked at him, inquisitive like a bird. "Oh, just stuff," he said. "People stuff. Everyone has stuff that's about them and sometimes people have little bit of stuff that's about other people." He waved around. "This is all other-people stuff. Don't you have you-stuff?"

Gold studied him. "If I did, I wouldn't keep it here," he said. He offered a lightning-fast smile. "Someone might buy it by mistake, and then where would I be?"

Henry laughed. "You're so weird."

Gold smiled, remembering another child, another time, another place. "It's no bad thing to be, as long as it's in moderation," he said, tapping his cane on the floor.

Henry looked down at the cane curiously. "Do you have a bad leg?" he asked.

"An old injury," Gold said with a nod. "Nothing to worry about. It doesn't slow me down."

Henry stared at him, wide-eyed. "Do you have a wooden leg?" he asked eagerly. "Like a pirate?"

For a moment, Gold looked at him. "No," he said finally. "Nothing quite as exciting."

"Oh."

The boy looked so disappointed that Gold felt impelled to take pity on him. It was rare, but since there were no witnesses, there was no harm in it. "There's one in the cabinet over there, if you want one," he said, pointing to a set of shelves with his cane.

"No, it's okay," Henry said gloomily.

"Disappointed I'm not a pirate?" Gold watched the boy's face. The guilty blush and averted eyes told him that was the case. He pushed himself to his feet and patted Henry on the shoulder. "Trust me, Henry, there are much more interesting things than pirates in Storybrooke."

Henry looked up at him suddenly, staring again. "Really?"

Gold looked at the young face, wondering just what was behind the boy's inquiries. It wasn't possible that he knew about the curse. But then, it wasn't possible that he - Gold - remembered a lifetime when he was a weaver and a monster. He bent until they were eye-to-eye.

"You just have to know where to look," he confided in a whisper.

Henry's eyes were as wide as saucers.

The bell jangled and the spell was broken.

"What are you doing here?"

Gold and Henry both looked towards the door.

"Regina," Gold murmured, smiling placidly. "What a pleasant surprise."

"I'm sure," the Mayor said. "Henry, I told you to wait at the school."

Henry scuffed his feet. "I just wanted to look..."

"Well, you've looked," she said briskly, "and you're filthy." She shot a venomous look at Gold. "There's nothing but dust and trash in here."

Gold inclined his head. "Only if you don't look carefully," he said.

Regina's eyes narrowed like a cat. "Thank you for your time, Mr Gold."

"Bye," Henry murmured miserably as he was herded out the shop.

Gold watched them go, smiling to himself.

Sometimes, it was interesting to watch someone raising their own downfall.

**Author's Note:**

> (((Henry really lacks his mother's stealthy skills when trying to find out the true identities of the characters in his book ;) )))


End file.
